The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-03-24
MIR. GRENFELL'S ROMANCE.
A Famous Missionary Who Married One
of Africa's DuskY Daughters.

of Africa's Dusky Daughters.
Probably no missionary in the world
has been SO prominently before the
public in the last two years as the Rev.
George Grenfell of the Baptist Congo
Missions. His name will always be as
sociated with the exploration of most
OF the Congo tributaries that are now
known. He has not only seen more of
the Congo basin than any other man,
but he is also careful observer, a
good route surveyor, and fairly well
skilled In the use of geographical in
struments. The geographical societies
OF England, France, and Germany
have sought for and published contri-
buttons from him, and there is no
doubt that, next to Livingstone and
krapf, he deservedly ranks among the
foremost of Africa's missionary travel
ers.
Perhaps few of'the thousand who
have read the reports of his interesting
Journeys are aware that Mr. Grenfell,
who is thorough Englishman, is the
husband of a native of Africa. His
wife is a colored woman, originally a
heather. whose tribe has for many
years inhabited the Atlantic coast, a
little north of the Congo. He is, per-
haPs, the only white missionary in
Africa who has married native.
This strange marriage is said To have
come about in this way: Few mission
aries in Africa have had Grenfell's 5
large and varied experience, though he
is still in the prime of life. Before we
| heard of him on the Congo at all he
| told us much about the Cameroons
country, which the Germans have since
| annexed. Grenfell is one Of the few
men who seem to be perfectly adapted
| foT sucn life as he lis leading He loves
! his wild surroundings, he loves the
/ explorers toils0me life, he seems to en-
! dure the climate as well as native, and
his heart IS thoroughly enlisted in the
/ work of Christian missions. While
| ge5 graphers have been reading and
writing about the new regions and
| tribes he has revealed to the world, he
has looked upon these new coun-
tries chiefly as new fields for mission
ary enterprises.
Grenfeli made up his mind not long
| ago that he was destined to live and
IL in Afriro He da,idad # i soiJ
| af.a,. I,oo. reflection +hat 4 ,,-n,,I5
/ or,at1v inpai,. III usefulness r he
took \ wife from arnon~ the fair danpb-
tar> of his native land, He had rood
reason 70 doubt that he wouId he
/ Hlcky eDourh 10 find = white woman
climate of the torrjd zone, He had
not the SLIGHTEST desire to marry any
body whose life sor health wnuld he
sacrificed if he took her to Africa. or
/ for whom he mipht have to sacrifice his
life work by goinr back to EpoIaud
with her. He therefore decided when
he married to wed a native of the
country.
IL the course of time Grenfell met
his fate at the mission station and
/ trading-post Of kabinda, on the coast
not far north OF the mouth Of the Con-
! 90. He saw among the mission CON
yerts a bright young woman who had
received fair education Iii the mis-
sion school of kaDinda. She was a
/ SOuitlg SiLi ohc li''u n'ch lII>tl uCttu
for years in the arts Of housewifery by
the mission ladies, dressed in the garb
of her civilized sisters, was neat and
Industrious, and deyout Christian.
She was, in fact, in her changed con-
! dition, one of the best products OF
missionary labor. Grenfei believed
she would make a good hclpmeet in
his future arduous work rs pioneer
missionary in due time they were
married, and from that day to this,
Grenfeil's friends say, he has had no
| reason to regret the very unusual